The 45th World Archery Championships have opened in the nation’s southern coastal city of Ulsan, under the auspices of the International Archery Federation (FITA).

Some 720 archers from 79 countries will participate in the nine-day event from Tuesday.

The last time South Korea hosted the international archery event was in 1985 in Seoul.

The national team is aiming for four gold medals this year.

The Korea Archer Association’s president, Chung Eui-sun, said he hopes the successful hosting of the FITA event will serve as a step forward for the sport. Chung is also serving as the chair of the event's organizing committee.

FITA President Ugur Erdener said in his opening speech that he was pleased to see the large-scale sporting event take place after last year's Beijing Olympics.

The FITA head stressed that the global importance of archery will be displayed at next month’s International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Copenhagen.

The IOC decides on the sports on the Olympic program.